Medication Adherence A Critical Component of Healthcare – Nurse Practitioner

The failure to take medications as prescribed, or "medication nonadherence,"is a global problem that is increasingly recognized as a leading cause of rising healthcare costs and poor health outcomes (eg, disease progression). As many as 1 in 5 new prescriptions are never filled. Among prescriptions that are filled,an estimated 50% are not taken as prescribed, particularly with regard to dose accuracy and appropriate administration times. Many patients stop taking their prescribed medications altogether several months after starting, often without telling their providers. One-third to two-thirds of medication-related hospital admissions in the US result from nonadherence.In addition, as many as 25% of nursing home admissions may be due to medication nonadherence.Avoidable healthcare costs attributed to nonadherence range from $100 billion to $300 billion each year.